Being a part of "Annie" was the highlight of this year...

♥ Every now and then, you have a chance to be involved in something special. We just finished up our last show of "Annie". I can't even explain how wonderful it was to be a part of all this. Jaz is completely exhausted, but loved every minute of it. The entire cast (both human and canine) was phenomenal. Such talent. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of it. ♥

I feel like being a part of this production of Annie was one of the highlights of this year for us. This was our first experience with the Valley Youth Theater. And it was such a great experience. By working together, you really do develop a closeness and friendship with everyone. And the entire cast just LOVED the dogs. (Both Abbie and Jasmine) They were always getting loves from everyone. The dogs wouldn't even stay in their dressing rooms after a while, they would always be down in the actors lounge hanging out with the kids! Jaz played the part of the "homeless dog", and we even were part of the curtain call. After the last song, Jaz and I were the first ones to go out on stage to take a bow. (Both dogs know how to bow.) :)

Jaz and Abbie had their own dressing room- with their names written on the mirror! ;)

Because of the friendships that developed, my view of the play changed. At the beginning, it was just cool being backstage and being part of a production. I've never been involved in theater before. And every show was a little different. And it's quite a complex process! Watching actors dash back to their rooms to do a costume change, changing out scenery and backdrops, and making sure every person is in their right places for their cues. After a couple of shows, it became a smooth process. It was interesting to observe the chemistry and dynamics between the audience and cast. During the last show, I went up to the 3rd floor balcony to watch a part that I had never seen. They did fantastic. I know how much work this is for them. And to make the last show have the same amount of energy and enthusiasm as the first show is tricky. But they did it. And I was so proud.

I've been to a lot of plays before. I thoroughly enjoy good theater. I love music, drama, and dance. But it's a different experience when you know someone in the cast. You're more involved, it's more personal. And when you've become friends with the ENTIRE cast, it's a completely different experience. Watching from the 3rd floor balcony, I was enthralled. This cast from the Valley Youth Theater ranged from ages 8-18. And they were phenomenal. I just loved watching the choreography of the dance numbers, and listening to them sing. There is so much talent there.

And I was so happy to be a part of it. At first, I was just responsible for Jasmine. But then they made me the "dog handler" for both dogs- Abbie (a.k.a. Sandy) and Jasmine. Abbie responded really well to me. (The treat pouch I always had at my waist was probably a motivating factor there!!) ;) But it was really cool being completely responsible for both dogs. I had to get them to their cues on time, and signal them from off-stage. (and make sure they got their potty breaks at the right time!) Both dogs did great!! I'm pretty sure they had their parts memorized too! After each show, the entire cast went out into the lobby to take pictures and sign autographs. (Both dogs had a paw stamp!) The dogs did fantastic here too- with so many strangers petting them and wanting to take pictures with them. It was tiring, but they were troopers!

I feel like I have made such wonderful friends with the cast. My motto has always been "Carpe Diem"- Seize the Day. And I can't think of a better way to have spent the month of June than working closely with these people to help make this production of Annie a huge success. (Granted, I had a small part... but we all played a part.) Now that it's over, I'm kind of going through withdrawals! I miss the songs, and the kids. Good thing we have Facebook to stay in touch! And I ordered a DVD of the play. That way I will always be able to remember our time together. :)

P.S. Jaz had to have her long coat so she looked like a shaggy, homeless dog. Now that the play is over, she got shaved! It's much cooler in the summertime!

The Stars of Annie!

Being a part of this production of Annie has been SO FUN!!! It's true that kids and dogs steal the show. So... how could this not be awesome?? :) This cast is so talented!! They range in age from 8-18 years old. And both the dogs are 5 years old, in case you were wondering!! ;)
I am now the full time handler for "Sandy" as well as the "stray dog". So this has been a really good experience for me and Jasmine!

This is "Annie" hanging out with the "Stray Dog". :)After each show, the whole cast goes into the lobby to take pictures and sign autographs. (Jasmine has her own paw stamp!) This is Jaz with one of the orphans.This is Jaz and "Rooster".Can you say SPOILED?? Jaz doesn't even stay in her dressing room anymore. She goes down the actor's lounge to get attention from all the actors! (Who all adore her!) She's going to go through some major withdraws when this is all done!

And actually, this is last week for people to come see this production of "Annie". It's been a big time commitment, but SO MUCH FUN!! And we've met so many wonderful people! And it's just cool being backstage for a production.

It's not really a hard knock life for these orphans! These songs from "Annie" are stuck in my head! When I go to sleep at night, I'm singing them in my head. When I wake up in the morning, it's usually a different song. It's a good thing these are really great songs!! (Or I wouldn't enjoy it so much!) (I have this one memorized because right after this song is when Jasmine goes on stage!!)

This is "Molly". She makes Jaz look HUGE!!

You're never fully dressed without a smile.... seems to fit appropriately for this cast. They're always all smiles!! :D
Last but not least, this sign backstage always makes me laugh. Probably the first and last time I will ever see a sign telling me not to poke the champagne. ;) (I'm not sure what's in the glasses. Jello maybe? I guess everyone wants to poke it to find out!)

Being a part of this production of Annie has been one of the highlights of this year. One of the cast members wrote on his Facebook "There are no small parts, only small actors." Well, in Jasmine's case... she does have a small part... and that's because she's a small furry actor!! ;) And we're cool with that! ;) It's all good!! :D

Enter to WIN the $50 Nylabone Give-Away!!!

I have GREAT NEWS!!! Jasmine and Nylabone have teamed up to give away $50 worth of Treats & Toys! :D Woohoo!! I'm so excited to be able to give away prizes to one of Jasmine's friends! These are our friends Ringo and Francie. (The Goldendoodles) They each got a Nylabone Durachew as a thank you for participating in my little doggy pirate movie! (shown below)

This contest is super easy! (no voting required!) :D

Here's How You Can Enter:

**Just subscribe to this blog, and leave a comment below saying your pup wants to enter Jasmine's Nylabone giveaway! That's it!! =D Super Easy!

If you would like extra entries, you can also do any of the following:

1) Follow @MyFavPupJasmine on Twitter, and leave a comment saying you want to enter the @MyFavPupJasmine @Nylabone Giveaway.

2) Subscribe to Jasmine's YouTube channel, and post a comment under her Pirate Adventure Movie (shown below) saying you want to enter Jasmine's Nylabone Giveaway.

3) Last, but not least, you can 'like' Jasmine (My Favorite Pup) on Facebook, and leave a comment saying you want to enter Jasmine's @Nylabone Giveaway.

Totally easy! Up to 4 different ways to enter! GOOD LUCK MY FRIENDS!!!!!

Here's the official stuff:

PRIZE: One winner will be randomly selected to receive $50 worth of treats and toys from Nylabone!! Woohoo!

DEADLINE: You have from now until the end of June to enter! The contest ends at 11:59 pm PST on June 30th! We'll announce the winner on our blog/facebook/twitter, etc.

RULES: You can enter the contest once per day, per email address, per method. (Example: once per day commenting on this post, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc.) Each will count as one entry. And in July, we'll randomly draw our winner! =D This contest is open to Jasmine's friends everywhere... furry or human... (unless prohibited by law)

So good luck my friends!

ANNIE!!

I'm sure you all know by now that Jaz was cast as the "stray dog" in the play "Annie".
I can't tell you how fun this has been!! Opening night was just magical! There was such a fun energy. Kids and dogs always steal the show. And since "Annie" is all about kids and dogs... it was fabulous! I absolutely loved being a part of all of it!!

This is Annie with her doggy co-stars! Sandy (Abbie) and the stray dog (Jaz)These little girls just LOVE Jaz and Sandy. Our dogs can't walk down the hall without a dozen hands reaching out to pet them!

These kids are just so incredibly talented! I LOVE this play!! It's so cool being a part of it! And since Jaz is only in the first scene, I get to be the Sandy's other dog handler. When she has a part to go across the stage, her owner Stephanie releases her and she comes to me in the opposite wing. So it's really fun. Jasmine and Sandy even have their own curtain call! We each come out and the dogs take a bow!

These are all the adorable orphans. "It's a Hard-Knock Life" for them!

After each show, all the actors (and dog actors) go out into the lobby to have their pictures taken and give autographs.Since Jaz and Abbie haven't learned how to sign their names yet, the have a paw print stamp as their "pawtograph"! The kids just adore it! There's always a ton of kids swarming around wanting to get a stamp and their picture taken with the dogs. We stamp the PlayBill, but often the kids want a stamp on their hand too!


This past weekend, Jaz had a rose delivered to her in her dressing room! Our friend Christina came to see the show. She was so sweet. She got Jaz and I each a rose. :) One was addressed to me, from Christina. One was to Jaz, from Indy. (Which is Christina's dog!) ;)This has been such a good experience. And I've been wondering something lately. When an actor goes out on stage, you say 'break a leg' instead of 'good luck'.
When a dog actor goes out on stage, do you say 'break all 4 legs"? Is that how you wish a dog good luck? ;)

Annie is playing all through the month of June at the Herberger Theatre in downtown Phoenix. As you can probably tell, I HIGHLY recommend it! (and not just cuz Jaz has a small part in it!)

It's a wonderful play with wonderfully talented kids and dogs. Definitely worth checking out. :)

TV Time!

I finally got a clip of when Jaz was on TV a few weeks ago!


Be patient, it takes a few seconds to start.

AND I'm really excited because Jaz is going to be on a TV program in Japan tomorrow morning! So I'm doing my best to get a digital copy of that too! Hopefully I'll be able to watch it and share it with all Jasmine's friends!

Jaz is going to be on TV in JAPAN!!!

Jasmine is going to be on TV in Japan!!

This Wed. June 15th at 8:00 (am?). She is going to be on a variety show called ""Tokudane" on the Fuji Television Network.

**If any of Jasmine's fans from Japan see this, will you please record it for me??**

They wanted permission to use a lot of Jaz's videos- "A Shopping Dog", "Funny Dog Walk", "Dogs Eating Peanut Butter", "Dog Sneezes", "Best Friend", and "My Dog has OCD".

So of course I said yes! :)

The Dog Stars of "Annie"

The dog stars of "Annie" share a dressing room! Here's Abbie (Sandy) and Jasmine (the stray dog) chilling before dress rehearsal.






This is where they come to get some downtime between their time on stage. Abbie is a very loving, 5 year old Goldendoodle. And Jaz is a 5 year old Havanese. But with her hair all scraggly like this, she definitely fits the role of a stray mutt!

I don't know if you can see this sign- but it has both dogs' names on it. This is outside their dressing room. Luckily, it takes them no time at all to get into costume. They've got these dog roles down pretty well!! ;)




We have full dress rehearsal every night this week. And Friday is opening night! Jasmine only has a little part in scene 1. But I've been staying late each night to watch the whole rehearsal.

These kids are SO TALENTED!! And this is just such a fun, upbeat play. The song lyrics stick in your head!


All these orphan girls just love Jaz and Abbie. They can't walk down the hall without getting loves from a dozen little girls!


The Herberger Theatre is so nice!! It's so fun being a part of all this! I've never been backstage for a production before. There's so much work that goes into it! More than just memorizing lines. Where you stand, the sound effects, the props, the moving scenery... it's complicated! I'm glad I just have to worry getting my dog from stage left to stage right!

If you're in Phoenix, you'll definitely want to come check out these kids!! (and the dogs too!) ;) Here's where you can get tickets! http://www.herbergertheater.org/annie